


Newton’s First Law, or how a grumpy Bones remained grumpy until compelled to change

by weepingnaiad



Series: The Stronger Pull 'verse [3]
Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-27
Updated: 2010-07-27
Packaged: 2017-10-15 10:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weepingnaiad/pseuds/weepingnaiad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Summary:</b>  Bones is sick and grumpy.  His family tries to cheer him up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Newton’s First Law, or how a grumpy Bones remained grumpy until compelled to change

**Author's Note:**

> **Beta:** the most amazing captain, my captain, sangueuk. Thank you so much, hon!
> 
>  **A/N:** Fill for my schmoop bingo card square: _cuddling while sick._ Same ‘verse as _“The Stronger Pull”_ and _“On Gravity and Perpetual Motion”_. This bunny hopped into my lap and took over when [This Prompt](http://buckleup-meme.livejournal.com/5309.html?thread=424125#t424125) appeared on the meme. I couldn't resist!
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** The characters and world belong to the Master himself, Roddenberry. I am only borrowing them so they can come out and frolic a bit, not intending any copyright infringement of any sort. I do own my original characters, but they are available for parties!

“Bones! We’re back!” Jim called out as he walked into the room and opened the blinds.

“Leave ‘em!” Bones grumbled, his voice croaky and dry.

“Shhh. It’s like a cave in here and you’re not supposed to be talking.” Jim fluffed Bones’ pillows and leaned over to give him a kiss. Bones turned away and he bussed his cheek instead. “Love you, too, old man.”

Bones harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring up at Jim. “Did you have fun?” he mouthed.

Jim sat on the bed and smiled indulgently at Bones. “Of course we did. Have Eli tell you about his sand castle. He is one stubborn little man… just like his dad.”

Bones glared, unswayed by Jim’s teasing. “He spent the whole day building this huge castle and then took great delight in making a channel so that the waves could erode it.”

Bones waggled his finger at Jim and mouthed, _’Our son. Your fault,’_ and still didn’t crack a smile.

Jim shrugged, owning up to his influence. “And if you were wondering, Jo-Jo got far too many appreciative looks from the boys, so I spent most of my time glaring and chasing off the boys. You would have been proud of me.”

A tiny quirk of Bones’ upper lip let Jim know that he was making some headway to lightening his husband’s black mood. Jim quickly placed a finger over Bones’ lip. “No talking, remember? Doctor’s orders.”

Bones scowled and nipped at Jim’s finger.

Jim just shook his head. “I know. It kills you, doesn’t it?” Jim stood and managed a straight face. “Let me get you some more of that lemonade and some soup. Then you can watch the kids’ performance.”

Bones’ eyes widened and he shook his head frantically. “Not that!” he blurted out, then coughed as the noise tore at his tender throat.

Jim bit back a chuckle, but handed Bones a drink. “Bones, c’mon. They promised no more juggling or puppets. Nothing else will get broken. I promise.”

Bones shook his head, his eyes pleading with Jim.

“Not gonna work, not this time.” Jim kissed Bones’ forehead and walked from the room, whistling. It was terribly cruel of him to enjoy Bones’ enforced silence, but it’d only be for a couple more days. Revenge was sweet, indeed.

“Is he ready? Can we do our play now?” Eli whispered loudly as Jim turned the corner into the living room.

Jim looked at Eli. He hadn’t managed to get all the sand off and his hair stood practically straight up, matted from sand and salt. His olive skin had turned a golden brown during the summer break and his green eyes glowed with bright hope and excitement. In short, he was too adorable to resist. Surely his play about elves and dragons and daring space captains would cheer up Bones.

Jim knelt by Eli and gave him a quick hug. “Go ahead and get your costume on. You and Joanna stand by in the hall, I’ll start narrating once you give me the thumbs’ up.”

Eli squealed and dashed off. Jim took a moment to stand there and just drink in the sheer domestic simplicity of his life. He had never felt such contentment; the desire to explore, to wander, to run had long been subsumed by his desire for family. This family. _His_ family.

“Whatcha’ smiling at, Papa Bear?” Joanna strode back into the room, her long dark hair still wet from showering, her shorts too short and her top too tight.

Jim blinked. He had missed when Jo-Jo turned into a young woman, it had somehow happened right under his nose. Today had made it painfully clear that she was no longer a little girl and it made his stomach tighten. Soon enough she’d fly the coop and he wouldn’t be able to protect her anymore.

He wrapped her up in a tight hug, his throat too constricted to speak.

Joanna just shrugged and hugged him back. For being Bones’ and Jocelyn’s daughter, she was one of the most laid back teenagers that Jim had ever met.

Jim finally pulled away and grinned at her. “You’re growing up so fast, Jo Bear. I had to beat the boys off with a stick today.”

She blushed and stuck her tongue out at Jim. “Well stop it! A girl likes to be noticed!”

Jim laughed. “Well, just as long as you follow the rules and realize that you cannot go out in public dressed like that!”

“What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Too short, too tight.” He crossed his arms over his chest, remembering all too well what he’d been like as a teenage boy. “Just trust me on this one, Jo-Jo. You’re a beautiful young lady and you don’t need to let it all hang out.” He leaned forward and tapped her on the nose. “Keep ‘em guessing and they’ll be slavering after you like rabid dogs. Give it all away and they’ll toss you like yesterday’s garbage.”

“Papa Bear!”

“What? You want honest advice, I’ll give it to you.” He headed toward the kitchen and shot back over his shoulder, “But you’re still not allowed to date until you’re thirty-five!”

“Hey! We agreed! Sixteen.” Joanna followed Jim, working the McCoy eyes and pout, but Jim was a hardened veteran, especially where Joanna dating was concerned. He really would like to wrap her up and hide her from the outside world forever.

Jim leaned his hip against the counter and frowned, his eyes sparkling. “Are you sure? I could have sworn we said eighteen.”

“Sixteen! In six months!”

Jim straightened and nodded. “Hmmm… maybe?”

“Papa!”

“Okay, okay. I give. Now, go on. Eli’s waiting for his elf and captain.”

~~*~~

Jim carried the tray into Bones and smiled fondly down at him, snuffling quietly in his sleep. Jim reached for the PADD that he’d been reading, but the minute he moved it, Bones woke. “Wah’?”

Unfocused eyes the color of dark pine moss looked up at Jim and he couldn’t resist. He set the tray on the side table and stroked his hands through Bones’ already disheveled hair before leaning down and brushing their lips together. “You hungry, baby?”

Jim dragged his thumb along a stubbled jaw and was rewarded with a soft murmured agreement and Bones’ eyes fluttering closed. Before he could pull away, Bones reached up, pulled him closer, kissed him with intent. Jim smiled against Bones’ lips, allowed himself to be held down until his back twinged and he had to straighten.

Bones protested, muttered and glared, almost barking out his disagreement before Jim shushed him.

“None of that. You’re having dinner and a show.”

Jim fluffed Bones’ pillows, helped him sit straighter and then set the tray in his lap. At a questioning eyebrow, he said, “Mama McCoy’s chicken soup. She shared the recipe with me. Told me that it never failed to make you feel better.” Jim only hoped that some old fashioned comfort food would improve Bones’ mood.

Bones took a sip of the lemonade and his lips puckered, but then he sighed as he took another large swallow and another.

Jim reached for the glass. “Slow down. I’m fresh out of lemons. I’ll have to run to the store when this is gone.” Bones glowered as Jim set the glass aside. He really did have a weakness for Winona’s lemonade. But he relented and turned to the soup, eating with relish.

Jim heard loud whispers from the hallway and he craned his neck, saw Eli’s two thumbs up and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

He looked down at Bones and intoned, “Now presenting the debut performance of the McCoy Players’ newest production, The Captain and the Dragon.” Jim winked at Bones and cupped his hands into an air ‘trumpet’ and blasted a gaudy fanfare.

Bones coughed and Jim patted him on the back, whispering harshly in his ear. “You nod and smile and act like you’re enjoying this.”

Bones shot Jim a dirty look, but smiled at the kids, until Eli shot a bow and arrow across the room and Bones gave a pained grimace. Luckily, the suction cup dart missed the breakables and stuck on the mirror.

Bones finally started to relax by the end of the first act and actually almost smiled as he clapped for Eli and Jo. Jim whisked away the tray. Once he was done in the kitchen, he helped Eli with his costume and belted the sheath around Jo’s waist before wrapping the green blanket around his shoulders and putting on the dragon ‘head’ that Eli and Jo had made.

“Do you think Daddy likes it?” Eli asked.

“Definitely. Now, get started. I’ll wait for my cue.”

Unfortunately for Jim, the eye holes in the head were too wide set and far too small, so he could barely see where he was walking. He made his grand entrance, bellowing and hissing, but immediately tripped, landing flat on his ass and knocking the air from his lungs. Veteran performer Jo treated it as part of the play and drew Jim’s very real ceremonial dagger from Dhalpinia V and pointed it at his stomach. Eli aimed his bow at the fallen dragon and demanded it surrender the treasure, but he tripped and knocked Jo’s arm, loosening her grip on the sword. It dropped onto Jim, cutting the dragon ‘skin’, and sliding harmlessly to the ground.

Bones, though, didn’t see that and was instantly out of the bed, swearing up a blue streak. “Goddammit, Jim! An honest to god sword? What the hell were you thinking?” His voice cracked and shattered and he gripped his throat as he swayed above Jim, his face thunderous as he gasped for breath.

“Whoa.” Jo and Eli both looked close to tears.

“I’m fine, kiddos. Just go change. Give us a sec.” Jim soothed.

“Jim,” Bones croaked.

Jim stood slowly, his mouth set in a determined line, as he tossed off the large green comforter. “No. You get your ass back in bed.” He advanced on Bones who was scowling and trying to speak, but he wasn’t getting any words out, just pained gasps and grimaces.

Bones glared, his arms crossed over his chest. The ‘make me’ so clear in the set of his jaw, that Jim snapped. Five days of grumpy, grouchy, crabby Bones had taken their toll and Jim had had enough.

He advanced on Bones, his hands shot out, the fingers flying and teasing over Bones’ ribs, hitting his most ticklish spots. Bones flailed and tried to push Jim away before falling back onto the bed. Jim quickly covered Bones with his body, pressed him into the mattress. Bones tensed, tried to push Jim off, but gave up as he was held immobile.

Jim leaned over Bones and whispered into his ear. “Okay, you listen up, Leonard H. McCoy. I’m giving you one last chance. Eli picked out a movie. We’re going to all sit in this bed and watch it… together… and you’re going to enjoy it. And… No. More. Talking.”

Jim punctuated his words with tiny nips along Bones’ jaw, moving up to his ear where he lightly bit then sucked on Bones’ ear lobe. Bones gave a gruff whimper and Jim knew he’d won this round. He also knew that Bones’ was hurting. He could hear it. “Hold on, baby. Let me get you that hypo for the pain, now that you’ve undone all the good of the soup.”

Bones gave Jim a withering stare, his eyebrow shooting to his hairline.

“Don’t blame me.” Jim replied before gently pressing the hypo into Bones’ neck. He got Bones settled in the middle of the bed, his husband all grumpy and adorably tousled so that Jim couldn’t resist kissing him again and again.

Before Jim pulled away, Bones pressed his lips to Jim’s ear and breathed out the words, “What movie?” Jim shivered, cursed his traitorous body for such poor timing as he sucked in a breath and pulled away.

“The Incredible Journey.” Jim grinned as Bones groaned. Bones had watched it countless times with Jo-Jo and he had hidden it away, hoping not to repeat the experience with Eli. But Eli found it and insisted that they watch the movie about the Tellarite dog, Andorian rabbit, and Terran cat as they crossed the cosmos hunting for their family. And Jo had agreed, squealing when she saw the movie chip.

Bones slumped and tried not to sulk. Jim rewarded him with a kiss. “You’ll see, it won’t be so bad.”

Jim crossed to the door and opened it. “Movie time!” he called out down the hall. Instead of the usual herd racing through the house, he got two sets of feet shuffling quietly forward. Jim hugged them both and quietly soothed. “It’s okay. Daddy’s just tired of being bed ridden and quiet. He’s not mad.”

Eli peeked around Jim as Bones patted the bed. Eli launched himself, scrambling into Bones’ arms. Jo followed, settling on one side and Jim on the other. Bones heaved a soft, contented sigh and Jim caught the beginnings of a smile out of the corner of his eye.

He reached for the remote and started the movie as soon as the lights dimmed and the screen came down.

For as many times as he claimed to have watched the movie, Bones still tensed and fretted along with Eli. Jim smiled indulgently, his arm wrapped around Bones’ shoulder and his hand carding idly through Jo’s hair.

By the end of the movie, Eli was yawning and more than half asleep on Bones’ stomach, Jo had dozed off, and Bones was smiling contentedly. He gave Jim a sleepy, soft kiss and then leaned back into the pillows with a peaceful sigh.

Jim followed and kissed him, then tucked his face into Bones shoulder. “Love your smile, Bones. Missed it,” he murmured.

Bones nudged Jim with his chin and Jim lifted his face to meet Bones’ eyes. Bones was smiling, his dimples showing and his eyes crinkling. “Love you, Jim,” he mouthed.

Jim bit back a laugh and gave Bones his own bright smile, eyes crinkled with delight. How ironic that they’d worked so hard to entertain Bones all week, but all he really needed was simple cuddling. Jim shook his head and tucked himself back under Bones’ chin. _’Figures.’_

The End


End file.
